The Bangladesh Coast Guard has arrested Masum Mridha, the alleged ringleader of a tourist abduction gang in the Sundarbans. It also recovered firearms, sharp weapons and ammunition during the operation.

Masum, 23, was detained Wednesday in Dhanakhali, Terokhada upazila, Khulna, following intelligence and drone surveillance operations.

Information from Masum led authorities to several firearms, edged weapons and bullets.

Earlier, the Coast Guard rescued two kidnapped tourists and a resort owner and arrested eight members of the gang.

Recovered weapons included three homemade one-shooter pipe guns, eight live cartridges, four blank cartridges, a Chinese axe, two local axes, a cleaver, a steel pipe, and several drug-use items. Five mobile phones and a wristwatch belonging to the hostages were also recovered.

Masum hails from Bipra Azgra village in Terokhada. His eight accomplices, aged between 24 and 55, are from different areas of Khulna district.

Masum’s eight accomplices have been identified as Md. Ifaz Fakir (25), Kuddus Hawladar (40), Md. Salam Box (24), Zainabi Bibi (55), Alam Matbor (38), Ayon Kundu (30), Md. Maharaj Hawladar (25), and Mosha Mridha (55).

According to the Coast Guard, on January 2, Masum and his team abducted two tourists and a resort owner from the Sundarbans, demanding ransom. A 48-hour coordinated operation, including financial tracing and intelligence, drone surveillance, led to the hostages’ safe release and the arrest of gang members.

Over the past year, Coast Guard operations in the Sundarbans have seized 38 firearms, two grenades, 74 homemade weapons, equipment for weapon-making, 448 rounds of ammunition, rescued 52 hostages, and arrested 49 active gang members.